


In The Next

by Raddish



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Modern AU, school au, zelink
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-19
Updated: 2017-08-19
Packaged: 2018-12-17 10:07:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,530
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11849343
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Raddish/pseuds/Raddish
Summary: What happens to a goddess and her chosen hero when their next incarnation is just...normal?This has probably been done a million times but now I'm doing it.





	In The Next

**Author's Note:**

> NOTE: Link uses his hands to speak. I am well aware that the motions he does aren't actually sign language, I didn't intend them to be.

‘ _ In every life, I’ll be the hero and you’ll be my goddess.  _

_ ‘In every life, I promise to beat down Demise for you. I promise to rescue you, to wake you up, to free you. That’s my purpose. Every life I defeat our evil, I save our world, and I make a future for us. For all of us, for everyone, but especially for you and I. Every life, that’s how it’s been. _

__ _ ‘So what happened in this one?’ _

__ There were no nightmares. No ominous voices. No disappearing children or reappearing monsters. No earthquakes or storms or ancient guardians or warnings of doom.

No spirit weeping for help, no villain jeering for a fight. No flames, no springs, no mountains, no beasts. There was nothing familiar. Absolutely nothing they knew. 

There was just them, plucked from the old legends and placed in a world that doesn’t have a blade to tame, a kingdom to save, or an evil to defeat. 

He couldn’t wield a sword. Hell, he barely knew how to cut a cake. And she couldn’t use her bow right, no matter how accurately she aimed. And it was fine, because no one was asking them to. 

They walked to school together, clasping hands that once bore a sacred mark. He hummed songs he learned in a far away past, and she smiled, because she had taught him some. 

Zelda sighed, looking up at the clouds. The sky was the same as it was, as it always had been. It was a small comfort in the midst of all the change. 

“It’s our last year, Link.” The boy looked at her, tilting his head. “...I’ve been thinking about some things. High school loves like us rarely work out. And you know, I can’t help but wonder if we are just dumb kids. If the things we feel are just normal parts of growing up. And in two or three years we’re going to realize how silly we are and laugh at each other...or maybe not. Maybe we won’t even be together then. We’ll be laughing all alone, miles apart, with no idea where the other we-” 

He cut her off by tugging the girl close, grabbing her cheek with his free hand and kissing her softly. When he pulled away, he was smiling. Link shook his head and squeezed her hand - a wordless assurance that everything would be fine. With a small laugh and a blush, she believed him.

School was never eventful. They were both average students with average ambitions. They had their friends and they had each other. After classes, they would stay in the library together, doing homework or reading, just being together. Zelda leaned against his shoulder, reading her fantasy book while Link chewed his pencil, staring helplessly at his math homework. 

Except today, Zelda’s eyes scanned the words but didn’t read them. It was spring by now, and the counselors were hounding on the seniors to decide on the rest of their lives. It was weighing on her, and she wasn’t good at hiding it.

A tap on her shoulder made her jump. She looked up to find Link watching her with a questioning gaze, a small grunt of ‘hm?’ coming from his throat. 

The girl shook her head, but her boyfriend followed up by aggressively poking her in the side. 

“Alright alright,” She groaned, nudging his hand away. At the last second she grabbed it though, holding it close to her chest. “I’m just thinking.”

“Hm?”

“You know...the future and everything.”

“Ah...” Link turned his hand in hers, letting their fingers intertwine.

It wasn’t reassurance enough. “Link, what if things don’t work out?” Zelda asked in a hushed tone.

Link smiled, a small, almost sad smile. He waved his free hand with a shrug, sighing afterwards.

Shocked, the girl frowned. “...Don’t just wave it off.” He put his hand up defensively. When she yanked her own away from him, he did it with both. “Just because you can go through life not caring what happens doesn’t mean we all can.” She stood, grabbing her bag. Link watched her, eyes wide and mouth hanging open slightly. 

With a huff, Zelda began to march out of the library, leaving Link alone with a pile of books and papers.

At first he just sat, stunned and confused. But when he heard the door close, Link let out a small ‘tch’ before quickly gathering his things and rushing after the girl. 

Zelda had a good head start, and was outside the school before Link was even out of the library. Clenching her fists, she began the walk home.

A small shout behind her made her aware that Link had followed, and was currently jogging after her. “Go home, Link!” She shouted back before taking off in a run herself. 

Link groaned, fixing his backpack before taking a breath and starting to sprint. He caught her right before his body gave out, wrapping his arms around her waist and nearly falling forward. Luckily, the girl was stable enough to catch them both before they tumbled to the ground. “God! Stop it!” She screamed, pushing at his arms. “Let go of me, Link! I want to go home, I just want-” she was cut off by her own sob, slipping from her lips before she even realized she was crying.

Sighing, Link let his grip relax into a more tender one. Her struggles weakened, slowed, until she let herself fall into his chest, hiding her face and sobbing. It was humiliating. She always hated crying in front of him especially. Of course, Link didn’t mind. He let her hide, let her cry. All the while his hands grazed up and down her back. He nestled against her hair, quietly humming her lullaby. 

Once the worst had passed and she managed to stop her shaking, Zelda slowly pulled away, rubbing her face and cursing softly at the wet marks she left on Link’s shirt. “I’m sorry, Link,” she whispered, getting out the last of her sniffles. “I know I’ve been ridiculous. I’m just...I’m afraid, Link.” Her voice had dropped into a trembling whisper. “I’m afraid of what will happen to us. I wish we met differently. It’s hard here, because so much is changing...I wish I could be certain that you’ll always be at my side.”

Link listened as she spoke. Her eyes were downcast, tears still brimming on the edges. 

“Link...we’re so young. So much can happen. And I don’t want it to. I want to stay with you...”

Warm hands carefully moved up her body until they held her face, nudging her chin upwards. Reluctantly, Zelda looked at Link, who was smiling gently. Once he was sure he could hold her gaze, Link brought his hands back.

He motioned to himself, and then to her. ‘You and I,’ he clasped his hands together, fitting his fingers between each other, ‘are linked.’ A sweeping motion and a shake of the head, then moving his hands apart. ‘It doesn’t matter how far,’ using his fingers to count, ‘or how long.’ One hand on his chest, the other on her cheek, a beaming smile on his face. ‘We are together,’ a firm nod, ‘always.’

Zelda watched him carefully, swallowing and nodding in understanding. “...How can you know that?” She whispered.

Link paused a moment before sighing. He pat his chest twice. ‘Faith.’ He touched her shoulder, then motioned to himself. ‘In you and in me.’ Then, Link touched his chest gently, cradling the space where his heart laid, then motioned it towards Zelda, palm open and inviting. As he did, he mouthed the words with his motions, ‘I love you.’

A shaking sigh slid from Zelda’s lips. Her cheeks burned. Even after all this time the words struck her. “...I hope you’re right, Link.” The boy nodded back, grinning confidently. Zelda chuckled, wrapping her arms around his neck. “Such courage,” she mumbled before pecking his lips. “How do you always know the right words for me...?”

With a snort, Link tapped his temple, proud of himself. 

“Shush. I’m supposed to be the smart one,” Zelda scoffed, but kissed him again. “Come on...let’s go do your geometry.” 

Suddenly, Link was in a rush to get to his own home, tugging away from the girl and trying to run off. She was having none of it. Zelda practically had to carry her boyfriend to her home, scolding him about how he wouldn’t even be passing if she didn’t help him do his work. 

They studied outside under the sunset, getting distracted by the pink hue of the clouds and the whistling of the wind as it grazed through the grass. Watching the world at peace, clasping hands, both holding fear and hope inside of them, was an all too familiar scene that only seemed to happen at the end all, when evil was finally gone and the world was safe.

When the world was safe and they could go on living again.

‘ _ In every life, I’ll fight to see you. To be with you. To be happy with you. _

_ ‘I guess not much has changed after all.’ _


End file.
